That's a serious Owie! Good thing it's not a daily driver.
Always good to hear from you, John.
Donald.
John Macartney wrote:
> Hi, Guys
>
> The only Triumph connection I can bring to this thread is that on Sunday I
>found myself re-fuelling
> the Triumph Trans-America UK Spitfire UK Raffle prize at a freeway gas
>station here in the UK. Even
> topping off the tank made my eyes smart a bit (remembering UK fuel prices are
>usually
> stratospheric) - but I had a surprise. Just as I was snapping the filler cap
>closed on the Spitfire,
> alongside me comes a beautiful 1926 4.5 litre Bentley. The same type that
>raced so successfully at
> Le Mans all those years ago. Driver was a most engaging individual, very
>friendly and responded with
> humour to my comment that it would cost him the UK defence budget to re-fill.
>With aplomb and a
> cheery smile, he loosened the Bentley's fuel cap to reveal a hole about 6
>inches in diameter and a
> *fairly* empty (I'd guess just under half full) but massive slab tank. In
>went the nozzle and while
> he kept the fuel flowing, we had a pleasant chat. First time I've seen a
>Bentley refilled from empty
> and it didn't happen in a few moments! :)
> Eventually, the tank was full and I looked at the pump meter.
> GBP 143.00 (equal to about US$286.00) and I commented that I hoped it would
>get him home.
> "I hope so too. London's about 130 miles? With a bit of luck and if I keep
>the revs below 2000, we
> ought to do it."
> How much did he take on board? My calculator tells me about 25.8 imperial
>gallons and there were
> probably about another 20 gallons still in it. So, say 50 gallons at
>GBPUS$554 for the full tank and
> 130 miles to eat it all up, it would have cost him somewhere in the region of
> US$4.26 PER MILE!
> Jeez, at that consumption, I guess you could work out the cost per firing
>impulse. Anyone care to do
> it? I'm too tired.....
>
> Jonmac
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